Patent attributes
A surgical stapling assembly comprising a staple cartridge, a sled movable during a firing stroke between a proximal unfired position and a distal fired position, and a plurality of staples removably stored within the staple cartridge is disclosed. The staples are configured to be ejected from the staple cartridge by the sled. Each staple comprises a proximal staple leg comprising a proximal piercing tip, a distal staple leg comprising a distal piercing tip, and an integral staple driver base portion. The proximal staple leg and the distal staple leg extend from the integral staple driver base portion. The integral staple driver base portion comprises a body portion, a ramp surface configured to be contacted by the sled, and a starter guide feature configured to assist sled driving contact between the sled and the ramp surface.